Sighing times

Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my body! For my life is spent with grief, And my years with sighing; My strength fails because of my iniquity, And my bones waste away. - Psalm 31v9-10

One of the things that I really like about the Bible is the way it addresses real feelings and real situations in a way we can all understand.

David found in a time of great trouble. Though our reasons may be very different we all find ourselves in situations where we seem consumed with various troubles may be emotional, physical, spiritual, familial, or financial. The cause does not matter, but I think we can all identify with 'I am in trouble. Grief consumes my eyes and soul and body and indeed my life. I spend all my time sighing...'

You know what those sighing times are are. Those are the moments or days or weeks when we start thinking about circumstances, we rub our hands across our faces, and we let out a sigh that verges on frustration, despair, pain, or discouragement.

Scientists seem to differ on what physically cause this kind of sigh. There seems to be some agreement that there is a relation between stress and involuntary sighing. We may be a need to draw in extra oxygen to relieve a build-up of C02 which has built up do over breathing. Think of that tight chested, 'I can't breath' feeling that comes with stress. Our body senses that and draws in an extra deep breath to battle it.

Troubles are sure to bring about stress. People have all kinds of way to deal with stress. Some just give up and crawl back under the duvet. Some become angry with others. Some become morose and useless. Some try to get busy. Some just quit.

The psalmist had an answer to the sighing days. 'Have mercy on me O Lord.'

A dependence on God's mercy is the only real solution to troublesome days. May each of us exercise the faith in God's mercy in times of stress and despair.